The article reveals the full history of a Hi-Point 9mm handgun used to fire at Minneapolis police officers. That gun's full transactional history is detailed but that is far from the norm when tracing guns.

After a crime gun is recovered, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can learn where a gun was originally sold but there are usually no more records recorded after that initial sale, the Journal Sentinel's "Wiped Clean" investigation revealed three years ago. No background check or paperwork is required on a gun sold by someone other than a Federal Firearms Licensee. Congress and states are considering requiring secondary-sale background checks.

The ATF cannot release anything about its tracing of guns, because of the Tiahrt Amendment, a series of restrictions on the agency, largely written by the National Rifle Association.

The ATF has been under fire recently for an operation in Milwaukee where an agent's guns were stolen, an undercover storefront was burglarized and three of the wrong people were charged, revealed in the Journal Sentinel's "Backfire" investigation.

About John Diedrich

John Diedrich writes about crime, federal issues, ultimate fighting and guns. His investigations have been honored with various national awards including a George Polk Award for reporting on rogue gun stores and an IRE award for exposing botched undercover federal stings.